Big West ReleaseFULLERTON, Calif. – Christina Burkenroad and Serena Smith-Banas helped lead Cal State Fullerton to two victories and the 2014 Big West Conference regular season championship last week, marking the second straight week a pair of Titans have swept the league's player of the week awards.
Burkenroad Helps Titans Pave Way To Title
Involved in three of her team's five goals, junior Christina Burkenroad (San Diego, Calif./Mission Bay HS) captured Big West Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors for her role in Cal State Fullerton's clinching of its seventh conference regular season title.
The forward was responsible for the assist that led to Adriana Gjonovich's game-winning goal in a winner-take-all battle for the Big West championship against Cal Poly on Sunday. Burkenroad dribbled her way to open space on the endline and directed her cross through the box to a waiting Gjonovich, whose goal gave the Titans the 1-0 victory.
Cal State Fullerton's seventh Big West regular season crown comes on the heels of titles in 1996, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2012.
This is Burkenroad's first Big West Player of the Week award and the third time this year a Titan has earned the Offensive Player of the Week honor.
Others nominated: Laura McGrail (UC Irvine); Amanda Apelian (UC Riverside)
Smith-Banas Anchors Titan Defensive Effort
Part of an effort to limit its opponents to a combined five shots on goal, Cal State Fullerton sophomore Serena Smith-Banas (Valencia, Calif./TCU) earned Big West Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Smith-Banas, at her central defender spot for the regular season finale against Cal Poly, led the defensive effort in a 1-0 shutout that clinched the Big West regular season title for the Titans. The Mustangs, the Big West's league leader in goals, were held to just seven shots for the match, only two of which that were on goal.
For Smith-Banas, this is her first Big West Defensive Player of the Week Award and the second for the Titans during the 2014 season.
Others nominated: Jovani McCaskill (CSUN); Alana Sooy (UC Irvine); Elizabeth Silas (UC Riverside); Monk Berger (Hawai'i)
